


Akari Kurusu - Phantom Thief, Schoolgirl

by tossofthedice



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Gen, but less graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-05-24 09:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14952437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tossofthedice/pseuds/tossofthedice
Summary: Novelizations of Persona 5 aren't uncommon. Female protagonist fanfics of Persona 5 aren't uncommon. What about a female protagonist novelization fanfic? Akari Kurusu is a Japanese schoolgirl who suddenly finds herself in over her head during her probation in Tokyo. What do the unforgiving machinations of fate hold in store for her?Currently on the Introduction/Prelogue Arc.





	1. Chapter 1

_Name: Akari Kurusu_

_Height: 160 centimeters /5' 3"_

_Sex: Female_

_Prisoner ID: P508954TS_

* * *

 

My mind floated freely as I drifted in and out of various levels of consciousness. Sometimes, I could feel a gripping sensation around my wrists or the steadfast presence of something against my back. Other times, I was a cloud of nothing, floating around on nothingness.

_Splash!_

My mind instantly returned itself back into my body as icy pricks of cold water assaulted all over my face. I'd been floating just a few moments ago, but now I was an anchor at the bottom of the sea. The dulled sensations I felt earlier struck me now in full force. The gripping around my wrist was handcuffs, maliciously fastened as tight as they would go around my slender wrists, and then some. The steadfast presence propping my back up turned out to be a cold, uncomfortable metal chair. My body began to throb and ache all over.

I slowly began to open my eyes, to confront the horrific reality that my unconsciousness had granted me a respite from. At first, all I could make out was a red light sinisterly staring right back at me. But, as my eyes adjusted to the dim lightning, the grim face of a man came into focus.

"No dozing off," he said, smirking at the sorry state I was in. I pulled at my handcuffs, wanting nothing more than to slap that stupid smile off his face. He seemed amused by my futile attempts. "You still don't get it, do you?" Then, all pretense of pleasantry disappeared as pure malice spread across his face.

"Give it up!"

A sharp pain tore through my abdomen as he planted his shoe there, kicking me so hard he knocked me and the chair to the ground. A surprised gasp exited me as I hit the floor on my side, hard. I only had time to tilt my head up before the shoe came down on me again, this time against my cheek.

"Come on, cooperate. Or what, you want another shot?"

I kept my mouth closed, knowing that anything I said, be it a defense of my innocence, a plea for mercy, or an admission of guilt, would do nothing to improve my situation. I could only endure the pain for now.

Not wanting to grant even eye contact to the interrogator, I focused my eyes on the red light that had stared back at me. It was...a camera?

His gaze followed mine and he turned around to see what I was looking at. "Huh? What about the camera?" He turned back to me and crouched down. Pulling me by my hair to look at him, he asked, "Are you thinking it can be used as video evidence?"

I stared into his dark eyes, looking for any sign of compassion or humanity. I searched for so long that I didn't answer, clearly displeasing him. Slamming my head into the ground, he snarled. "Didn't you hear my question? Answer!" Then, another jab to my ribs as he knocked the wind out of me with a powerful kick. I coughed and sputtered, desperately trying not to choke.

He walked away, taking a clipboard from another interrogator. "Obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons..." He turned to look at me, a look of slight surprise crossing his face. "Manslaughter too, yeah? Talk about the works. And to think that all those crimes were led by a punk like you...You seemed to be enjoying every second of it...Huh?"

' _I was enjoying it?'_ My mind sluggishly moved to consider his question. But I wasn't lucid enough to know what he was talking about.

He flicked his head and the other interrogator walked over to me and undid my cuffs, throwing me to the ground when he was done. I sat up and looked down at my wrists. Where the cuffs had shackled them together, there were now dark purple rings.

"Sign here."

I looked up to see a clipboard thrust into my face. "It's a confession under your name." I scanned it.

"I, _____________________________, have been charged with obstruction of justice, blackmail, defamation, possession of weapons, and manslaughter. In signing this confession, I waive arraignment in open court and the aid of an attorney. I plead GUILTY to the offense as charged and request a fine or penalty be fixed by the court.

 

Signed: _____________________________"

I looked back up at him. Was it worth resisting?...' _No. People that would use such harsh methods wouldn't stop a_ _t_ _forcing a signature.'_

"I understand," I rasped, throat and chest sore. I took the clipboard as he took out a pen from his suit. As I reached out to grab the pen, he moved it back, instead bringing his face right in front of mine. "Don't expect to walk out of here in one piece," he hissed. "We are going to make you understand...One must take full responsibility for their actions." He gave me the pen.

I signed it.

He took the clipboard back and walked to a metal table in the center of the room. "There's a prosecutor that'll come by to talk to you. Get over here and sit down."

' _Prosecutor...'_ For some reason, that seemed significant.

* * *

 

The door opened and the distinct clacks of heels on hard concrete sounded closer and closer. Finally, the noises gave way to a pretty woman who sat down across from me. I looked up to see her staring at me, arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were sharp with suspicion and intelligence, but simultaneously bright with guarded curiosity.

"...I didn't expect it'd be you," she started out, voice soft. Her tone quickly took a harsher edge. "You'll be answering my questions this time."

Her gaze found an empty syringe... "Those bastards..." she hissed. They'd injected me with that syringe. While I was waiting for her to show up, I began to recall the events of this night. I remembered running through the casino, fighting Shadows. I remembered my arrest, and how they'd beat and drugged me. Just thinking about what they might've done when I was unconscious...I shivered slightly, realizing how dire my situation was.

She must've noticed. "Hey, can you hear me? It seems you've been through a lot." These sympathetic words were not backed with a sympathetic tone. "Almost anything can happen here...and I can't stop them. That's why I need you to answer me honestly. I don't have much time either. What was your objective? Why did you cause such a major incident? I couldn't assemble a case for prosecution because I couldn't figure the method behind it."

"Of course you couldn't," I said, hoping my voice was clear and steady. Given the circumstances, it was pretty good.

She let out an amused grunt, although nothing else about her suggested she found any humour in that. "True. There's no way I could be convinced of such a... "world" just by reading the reports. It seems you're coherent, at least," she changed the topic and began the interrogation. "Where and when did you find out about that world? How is it even possible to steal someone's heart? Now, tell me your account of everything. Start from the very beginning."

Somewhere in that monologue, my head had begun to ache. I clutched it with my right hand, summoning all my willpower to push through the pain and remember. I didn't know why, but somehow, I knew it was crucial to tell the prosecutor the truth.

* * *

As I sat there, trying to recollect my thoughts, time froze for a moment. The prosecutor (Sae Niijima, I remembered her name now...although I had no idea from where) stopped blinking, breathing, moving.

A blue butterfly fluttered its wings as it flew in front of me, leaving a trail of cool dust behind. I closed my eyes in bliss as the dust soothed my wounds, even if temporarily.

"...You are held captive."

A mysterious voice emanated from the direction of the butterfly. It was definitely a feminine voice, and sounded quite familiar.

"A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance. This is truly an unjust game...Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you..."

The voice took on a pleading note as she went on.

"I beg you. Please overcome this game...and save this world...The key to victory lies within the memories of your bonds - the truth that you and your friends grasped. It all began that day...when the game was started half a year ago...For the sake of your world's future, as well as that of your own, you must remember..."

Half a year ago...

* * *

In the Persona 5 fanfiction sphere, novelizations are not uncommon. Fics using a female protagonist are not uncommon. However, there aren't many female protagonist novelizations around, and it was something I became personally interested in after seeing how Persona 3 had a two gender plot. Also, it helps that I'm female myself.

Please let me know if there's anything I could work on, such as pacing, word choice, tone, etc. Persona 5 starts very slow. Should I mirror that, or should I skip past that? What are your thoughts?

 

 


	2. First Impression

" _Ladies and gentlemen, we will be arriving at Shibuya shortly. Thank you for riding with us today."_

I awoke to these words, carried over the intercom of the train. My neck felt stiff, so I gave it a twist, feeling a small amount of satisfaction when I heard some pops and cracks.

"What, are you for real?"

My eyes tracked the source of the loud noise of two teenage girls having a conversation. I'm not the type of girl to eavesdrop, but it wasn't as if I had anything else to do.

"Mental shutdowns?" the first girl questioned.

"It's the truth!" her friend insisted.

"To another person, though? It can't be real. You really love that occult stuff." Both girls giggled.

Soon, the train pulled into Shibuya station. I walked out of the train and pulled out my phone, searching which line would take me to Aoyama...that's where I was going to live for the next year. For my probation. The web search conveniently gave me directions. It looked like I'd need to head outside.

I walked out to the bright daylight of afternoon Shibuya. I knew I was supposed to be heading straight to Aoyama without detour, but it was tempting to pop into one of the cafes on the side of the street and pick up a brownie, or maybe even take a bigger detour and go clothes shopping in Harajuku. I'd come from a much smaller town out in the country, so I rarely had to opportunity to go shopping for clothes in such a fashionable place like Harajuku and I would be surprised if there were more than three cafes in my entire town.

' _But it's the first day of my probation. To mess it up this early would be horrible.'_ With that thought in mind, I walked directly to the subway station.

I made it to Shibuya Square and I just _had_ to stop and admire the sheer number of people in this one square. It really put the fact Tokyo is about ten thousand times larger than my city into perspective, I wouldn't be surprised if there was half my town's population in the Square alone.

I stood there and watched for a little bit, observing the general behavior of everyone. After all, I was going to live in Tokyo, so I might as well learn how to act in Tokyo. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?

For the most part, people seemed to mind their own business and walk with purpose in their stride. It was actually pretty surprising how much spatial awareness they had, even if their face was glued to their phone screen. I would definitely crash into every other person on the street if I tried that. I mean, I was only using my phone as a navigator right now and I almost hit a cute bear looking mascot on the way here. I couldn't imagine taking a selfie and posting it or messaging on Line on top of walking, making sure I'm going in the right direction, not hitting anyone, and all the other basic functions.

An odd beep sounded from my phone, interrupting my thoughts. I looked down, and where Shibuya was on the map, there was now a big, red eye. The eye expanded to cross my entire screen. Annoyed, I tapped on it to see what it was about or make it go away, but the phone didn't respond.

My attention was jerked from the phone as a businessman on a call suddenly froze. Midsentence, his mouth still open. I looked around and realized that everyone was as still as a statue in the middle of whatever they were doing. A fashionably dressed girl was about to press the button to take a selfie. A small child was just about to drop his cone of ice cream. Her mother was frantically searching her purse. All frozen. Except for me.

Across the Square, a massive blue flame exploded into existence. Then, it took the form of a vaguely human figure, complete with a mouth and eyes made of red flames. Wings of dark flame burst out of it on each side, ruining the illusion of humanity.

_Just what the hell was that thing?_

And then the world returned to normal. No more inexplicable blue fire figure across Shibuya Square. The businessman went on with his conversation. The toddler squealed as the scoop of ice cream hit the burning hot concrete and almost immediately began to melt. Her mother stopped rummaging through her purse and bent down to comfort her.

I blinked a few times, wondering why no one else seemed to be pertrubed at all by the time freeze. Instead, people gave me a couple of weird glances as they passed by. I took off my glasses and rubbed at my eyes. Putting them back on, I concluded that I was just tired from the long train ride. That's all.

I don't know who I was trying to convince.

* * *

_"You have arrived at Yongen-Jaya."_

I put my phone away when the Maps app told me I'd arrived. From here, I would need to find my own way to my new home for the year.

' _Starting today, Sojiro Sakura will be taking care of me. This is the place, Yongen-Jaya. His house should be in the backstreets somewhere.'_

Now that my nose wasn't in my phone, desperately relying on it to not get lost in the bustling crowds of Tokyo, I took the time to observe my surroundings. It was a fairly nice place, Yongen-Jaya. The roads were a little narrow, but I didn't think many cars came around here. There was an old shop on the left that looked like a garage sale more than anything else.

There were a couple more places of interest besides these – I wanted to know what was up those stairs on the right – but for now, I figured I should just find the Sakura residence. But who to ask?

Off to the left, there was a police officer watching the people mill by. He might know where the Sakura residence was located if I gave him the address. I walked up to him.

"Excuse me?" I started softly.

The officer turned his gaze to me, and my heart started beating faster. I panicked as I began to remember my last experience with the police.

_They dragged me away from the woman I had saved and the man I had injured. They pulled my arms behind my back and together and clapsed handcuffs on them, and shoved me into the back of a police car._

"Can I help you?"

The tone of what should've been a helpful question was gruff and unfriendly, and I suddenly had doubts about asking this officer, or any officer, for help. They'd arrested me for saving a woman, after all.

I dropped my eyes to my shoes. "Never mind, sorry." I murmured. I could feel his hard stare still raking over me. For a moment, I was scared he was going to arrest me for being suspicious and cut my probation right on the first day.

"Carry on," he said finally. I relaxed and obediently walked away. I'd find Sakura's place on my own.

It didn't take much searching, because I found it on the first right turn after the officer. It was the second house down. It wasn't much, certainly not large, but it seemed nice enough.

I pressed the doorbell on the short, stone wall surrounding the Sakura residence. No response. I pressed it again.

"Uh, Miss?"

I whirled around to face a young deliveryman who looked about as startled as I was. I cursed myself for being so jumpy. I'm not guilty. I have no reason to be paranoid.

"Yes?" I asked.

His eyebrows were still raised, but he answered. "Sakura-san's usually at his cafe at this time of day. Cafe Leblanc. It's the first left right around this corner." The deliveryman hesitated. "...Would you like me to take you there?"

I was being hit on. Not the first time, but I didn't expect it to happen on the first day of being in Tokyo. "No thank you, but thanks for the help," I declined, smiling to soften the blow of rejection, as I had done in the past. It worked about as well as it always did, which is to say that it didn't work. He nodded dejectedly and went back to his deliveries. Oh well. I'm sure he would dump me the second he found out exactly why I was going to Leblanc anyway.

Finding it was as simple as the deliveryman said. Around the corner, back to the main road which I'd come from. I drew my bag closer to me as I walked past the police officer again to make the left turn. I could just feel him tearing me apart with his gaze, wondering why I was passing by him a second time, about to walk up behind me and cuff me and take me back into custody-

I blinked as I realized I was at Cafe Leblanc. I turned around. Police officer was still where he was when I first talked to him, not radioing for help or taking out handcuffs. As my anxiety slowly dissipated, I sighed and took off my glasses. They were non-prescription glasses and they were cheap at the train station, so I thought I'd buy a pair to reinforce the quiet schoolgirl look.

' _What I look like doesn't matter for anything if my actions make me look guilty. Pull it together. I need to make a good first impression.'_ Putting them back on, I steeled myself, and opened the door to Cafe Leblanc.

* * *

The first thing I thought as soon as I walked in was ' _old fashioned'._

From the jingle of the bells attached to the door, to the shiny wooden counters, the antiquated payphone, the grandfather clock, or perhaps even just the old age of the barista, everything looked and felt retro. It wasn't bad at all. Actually, I found it rather comforting.

" _A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with passengers still in it!"_

A flatscreen TV (one of the few modern things in the cafe, I noted) was blaring a rather sensationalist news show.

" _The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up!"_ the show host ranted. " _And now, we'll be back after a short commercial break..."_

I felt a flash of distaste as the show progressed to some sort of ad about an idol. Seemed like they were using a tragedy to cash in.

"How frightening," an elderly man sitting at one of the tables fretted.

His wife, I presumed, agreed, taking his hand from across the table. "What could be going on?"

Meanwhile, the barista seemed more interested in his crossword puzzle. "18 down is... the name of a shellfish used for farming pearls..."

' _Isn't that an oyster?'_ But I decided to keep quiet. Not that it mattered. He noticed me right away.

"Oh, right," he said, putting the newspaper down on the bar behind him. "They did say that was today."

The elderly couple, sensing something was about to happen, stood up to take their leave. "We'll be going now, Sakura-san."

I blinked a few times. So this was the Sakura that I'd be staying with. He certainly wasn't who I was expecting. Then again, I don't know what I was expecting anyway.

"Thanks for coming. See you next time." he replied in a friendly but brisk tone.

When the bells rang as the door closed after the old couple, Sakura groaned as he scratched the back of his neck. "Four hours for just a single cup of joe," he grumbled. I smiled. It looked like it wouldn't be too difficult living with him.

My smile dropped as soon as he turned his sharp stare on me. "So, you're Akari?" His tone was now strict and gruff, nowhere near the warmth he'd addressed his customers.

I swallowed and nodded. "Please take care of me," I said, complete with a bow.

"Hmph. You got some manners, at least." I was a little offended – _'Just what have_ _Mom and Dad_ _told this guy about me?' -_ but it wasn't a bad start.

"I'm Sojiro Sakura. You can call me Sojiro; you'll be in my custody over the next year after all. I'll call you Akari regardless of whether you like it or not. I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up, but you're the one, huh? Have you been told? A customer of mine and your parents know each other and -" He stopped himself, seeing my eyebrows raise higher and higher. "Well, not that that matters...Follow me."

Sojiro turned around and headed for some stairs leading up. I followed him. Meanwhile, I was digesting this new information. ' _So_ _Mom and Dad_ _stuck me with a guy they didn't even know?...'_ Of course, this was one of the first things I asked them when they told me they'd find someone who'd take care of me – whether this guy was safe to stay with, etc. Their response?

"It doesn't matter. You got yourself into this situation so you deal with it."

The stairs led to an attic, which, to my dismay, didn't seem to have had use at any point during my lifetime. There were the normal sorts of things you'd find in an attic: old books, boxes of probably old things, a probably broken sofa. But then there were just some weird things, like a potted plant, a ladder, bags of trash (why didn't he toss those into the street and let the garbageman take them?).

"This is your room," he said, confirming my dread. "I'll at least give you sheets for your bed." He turned around and must've seen exactly what I was feeling. "You look like you wanna say something."

It wasn't an invitation to speak, not with that challenging look he was giving me. It was the set up to a lecture, probably just like the kind Mom and Dad would give me. The same "it's your responsibility" stuff they'd fed me. I didn't take the bait and instead decided to focus on one of the positives, and that was that the room was twice, maybe three times as large as my room back home.

"It's big." I articulated masterfully.

He scratched his head a bit, clearly not expecting that response. "It's on you to clean up the rest," he finally concluded. "I'll be leaving to go back to my house each day after I lock up. You'll be alone at night, but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you out if you cause any trouble." My earlier hopes that this was a cool and funny guy to stay with were nonexistent by this point.

"Now then, I got the gist of your situation," he went on. "You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you. Right?" I nodded, expecting I'd find at least some sympathy from him about this. Surely there was nothing wrong with helping someone like I did?

I was dead wrong. A smug, cocky look appeared on his face.

"That's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah?"

I opened my mouth, half just from shock, but also to explain the situation. He gave me a silencing glare that expressed his absolute disinterest in hearing my side of the story. I closed my mouth and bit my lip, lowering my head. Frustration raged within me as it became apparent that he was just like every adult, like Mom and Dad, like the teachers at my school, like the jurors that declared me guilty. They didn't listen at all.

"Now that you've got a criminal record, you were expelled from your high school. The courts ordered you to transfer and move out here, which your parents also approved."

My head shot up at this. My parents had made the transfer sound like a hard battle where the court eventually overruled them. They'd just given me up to a complete stranger?!

"Got something to say?" The same challenging look that showed his complete apathy once again. I was beginning to dislike Sakura.

"Where was I? Oh yeah, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass, in other words."

Yeah. I was really beginning to dislike Sakura.

He turned serious again. "Behave yourself for the year. Nothing happens, your probation's lifted. Cause any problems, and you'll be sent straight to juvie." I could tell this was a threat that would be used over and over and over again.

Sakura lightened up a little. "We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow."

"Shujin?" I found myself asking before I could stop myself. I was always a curious girl, and that curiosity had outweighed my dislike of talking to him.

He closed his eyes in exasperation. "Shujin Academy. The school you'll be attending. We'll introduce ourselves properly to the staff there. There's rarely a place that'll accept someone like you, you know. What a waste of my Sunday..."

' _Why'd you take me in, then? You weren't under any obligation to do so.'_ But if there was something I'd learned in the last ten minutes, it was to keep my mouth shut and not get involved with anything...even if it meant I ignored someone in trouble. Right.

"Your luggage is over there." And with that, he walked downstairs, back to his cafe.

I sighed and took off my glasses. There was already dust sticking to the lenses.

So much for a first impression.

* * *

**IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THIS IF NOTHING ELSE:** Looking for beta readers! Please PM me advice and suggestions regarding C1 and C2 and I'll get back to you about whether you're aboard the ship or not. As a beta reader, I'll discuss potential plot points so if you don't want to be spoiled, maybe not the job for you.

Things you should look for: easy mistakes (punctuation, spelling, grammar), potential holes in the plot, places where I didn't remain faithful to the original plot of P5, things I could've done different, what my focus is on the first chapter, what my focus is in the second chapter, etc. I promise I don't bite!

I have to say, writing a novelization is actually a lot easier than going out and creating your own story. Didn't expect it to be this easy. 3.2k words in a couple of hours.

Lots of animosity between Sojiro and Akari! Well, it's more of a one-sided thing, but hopefully this provides for an interesting rdynamic between the two. I'm certainly planning for it to be more dramatic than in the game.

Wow, I'm really pleased at the quick interaction I got from you guys! Thanks to all that reviewed, followed, etc!

For clarification: ' _These are Akari's thoughts.'_

_"These are words coming out of a TV or through a phone call, etc."_

_"_ This is talking in person."

Something I like to do is respond to reviews publicly as a way of generating ideas. Because two minds are better than one, and it'd be pointless to not take advantage of your ideas and see if I could incorporate them into my story as an improvement.

Righteous-maximus: Thanks for all the advice. Good to have a veteran on my side.

Yeah, a lot of novelization fics tend to end right around the Kamoshida arc as the authors realize they need to do that about seven more times. Hopefully I can pull through.

As for 1st person – you're right, it's a bit hard to do. And it's not something I could really change midway through the plot. Hopefully I can do a good enough job to justify its use.

Assault Charge - I want to keep the premise of Akari's probation the same to maintain the MC as a noble person who would get in trouble to help someone in need. By this point, it's already cemented in the story. I may consider changing it in the near future, though.

Focus – Yeah, confidants over plot for sure.

God Emperor of Gar-halla: I want to establish Akari as a quiet and calm sort of character like Akira (and pretty much every protag) is and add shy on top of that, because an arrest would certainly do that for me. I've also written some naivete in there as well. So I guess we'll see how well being the seductress falls into line with that as I progress with the story.

Thanks for the review!

Fatty635: Thanks! I'm already taking shortcuts to both make it more concise and also help to characterize Akari more.


	3. New Home

I silently fumed as I sank down onto the bed in the corner of the attic. I'd been cleaning for hours now and it looked better, but not exactly the selling point of the store. Whatever, I was due a break anyway. I looked down and saw that my clothes were dirty too.

 

' _Stupid Sojiro Sakura-san and his stupid dusty attic,'_ I ranted. I have to admit, though, I was pretty proud of all the progress I made. All the surfaces were relatively free of dust. The floor wasn't sparkling shiny clean by any means, but it looked a lot better. The books were all placed in on the bookshelf. I didn't really know what to do with the ladder and the boxes in the corner, so I just left them there and put all the misceleaneous boxes and baskets there too. 

 

I heard someone coming up the stairs and I inwardly groaned as Sakura's goateed head made its way up the stairwell. "What the heck? I heard you making all sorts of noise up here but I didn't think you were actually cleaning." He looked around, making surprised noises. "Actually, the place looks pretty good."

 

Maybe Sakura would warm up to me a bit more now that he knew I wasn't just a lazy delinquent, here to leech off of him until my probation was up.

 

"Though it's only natural you'd want to keep your room tidy."

 

Never mind. This is Sojiro Sakura we're talking about.

 

"Why don't you go to bed for tonight? You don't have anything better to be doing, right? I'm going to close up shop and get out here myself. Don't stay up too late and get yourself sick, alright? You're on your own if that happens."

 

With that, he turned around and went back down the stairs.

 

I sat down on the mattress and thought about what I'd need to do. My clothes had a couple of stains from the cleaning, so I'd throw those in the laundry bin to get a wash. I should probably take a shower, too. No doubt I sweated through all that cleaning- wait a second!

 

I shot to my feet as I came to the realization that this was a cafe! It wouldn't have a laundry bin and it wouldn't have a shower! I raced down the stairs.

 

"Sakura-san!" I shouted, just seeing the old barista on the outside of the door, twisting the key to lock it. He stared at me.

 

"Where do I put the laundry and where do I take a shower?" I yelled through the door. At first, I thought he didn't hear me (' _old people go deaf, right?'_ ) but then the lock twisted and he opened it.

 

"Oh, hell, I forgot," he said, looking a little embarassed. "Bathhouse and laundry machines are across the street and a little to the left. 500 yen to use both. I'll get you a discount soon, though."

 

"Thanks," I said, surprised.

 

"Better that than have you begging me for money," Sakura grumbled. "I'll be waiting here. Go take your bath, but don't take your time."

 

I nodded and ran upstairs to grab my shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, towel, and pajamas, then back downstairs and out the door. I almost missed the entrance to the bathhouse, but there it was, at the end of a small alley. I pushed through the door to find a middle-aged woman sitting at a counter.

 

"Hello, dear," she said warmly. "Is this your first time here?"

 

Finally! Someone who was friendly in Tokyo. "Yes, I only recently moved in."

 

"Let me explain it quickly, then. Everyday, we offer bath or shower service. On Mondays and Thursdays, we mix a medicinal herb mix that soothes and moisturizes your skin. All for 500 yen!"

 

I nodded. An herb bath sounded really interesting...Today was Saturday, so I'd have to come back on Monday with plenty of spare time.

 

I paid my 500 yen and walked past the counter. I pushed through the door to the women's locker room. So far, my impression of the bathhouse was great. Nice receptionist, bright and clean locker room. I guess they didn't provide locks, but who did?

 

After placing my stuff into an empty locker, I made my way towards the other side of the locker room, where there were two doors. Left one was for the showers. Right was for the bath. Which one?...

 

I went left. Even if I disliked Sakura, it'd be unbelievably petty to keep him from his family by taking a bath.

 

The showers were a pleasant surprise. I expected an open shower, which there was, but a line of private showers lied farther down the hallway. They weren't small either, like the ones at my school where you barely had room to stand. Most importantly, they were sparkly clean.

 

My mood was very much improved from when I walked out of the bathhouse. "Thank you!" I said, flashing the receptionist a smile. She smiled back.

 

When I returned to Leblanc, Sakura was sitting in one of the barstools, impatiently tapping his foot. He got up as soon as I walked in. "You didn't take as long as I expected. I'm headed out now. Don't think about leaving and don't think about stealing anything."

 

"Good night," I said cheerily. He grunted and left, locking the door behind him.

 

Now, all that was left was to brush my teeth and get to bed. Thankfully, Leblanc had a bathroom I could use. It would've been really awkward if I had to run across to the bathhouse whenever I needed to go to the bathroom or brush my teeth. The receptionist would probably think I'm a homeless kid and call the police-

 

I froze mid-brush, shivering as I thought about that. She'd call the police, I'd get arrested, and-

 

_I remembered._

 

_All the fearful and disgusted whispers of my classmates._

 

_All the unsympathetic looks from adults on the streets._

 

_The disappointment in my parents' eyes._

 

_The calm monotone of the head juror as he calmly destroyed my future._

 

_The roughness of the police officers as they threw me into juvie._

 

My knees hit the cold floor of Leblanc's bathroom, but I hardly noticed. My mind was busy revisiting memories and experiences I wanted to bury but never could and never would. The night I'd spent in juvie...was _horrible._ Sitting on that cold, uncomfortable bed, knowing I could be sent somewhere even worse...

 

A sharp ringing noise ripped me out of my shock. As I slowly came back to my senses, I realized I'd just had a panic attack on the floor of a cafe.

 

I took out my phone. It wasn't ringing. No call from my friends, parents...anyone. I unlocked it just to be sure. Nobody had texted me for weeks. It'd been even longer since I had a call.

 

Another ring. It was coming from outside. I stood up shakily and spat out the toothpaste and stared at the mirror and saw myself. Bloodshot eyes, tear streaked cheeks, haunted look. I needed help. ' _But who would help a convicted felon?'_

 

The ring got even more agitated, as if to ask me "why the hell aren't you answering?" So I pushed my way out of the bathroom and saw that it was the old payphone I didn't even think was functional. I walked over and picked up the receiver.

 

"Hello?" I asked meekly, hoping whoever was calling couldn't pick up on the tremble in my voice.

 

"Akari? Are you okay?"

 

My heart sunk as I recognized that gruff voice. It was Sakura. Not my parents, not my friends, not anyone that cared about me. I mean, I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but...

 

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, feigning briskness. "What do you need?"

 

A slight pause. He wasn't convinced. "The sign outside the door. I just realized I didn't flip it back to closed. It's too much of a hassle for me to go back and do it, so can you?"

 

"Sure," I said. A simple request. "I'll see you tomorrow."

 

"Bye."

 

I hung up.

 

It was nice to step outside for a moment, actually. I delayed flipping the sign for a little while, content with standing in the doorway and taking a look up and down the narrow streets. It was a rather nice place, I had to admit, especially for a countryside girl like me. If I'd ended up in Shibuya or Shinjuku, where the bustle never stops, I'd have sleep deprivation to add to the list of things that are wrong with me.

 

But here...here was nice. A gentle breeze blew oak leaves towards me from across the street. I reached out and grabbed one, looking down to examine it before releasing it. It was slowly carried by the wind, joining its friends on their journey with the wind.

 

This was my home now. Even if I wasn't given the warmest of welcomes. Nothing to do but make the most of it.

 

I turned around and flipped the sign.

* * *

 

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't claim that my portrayal of a panic attack is accurate and representative of reality. It is simply a way of establishing a problem with Akari that will or will not eventually be overcome.

 

Sorry this took so long. Sometimes I hit periods where everything I write I feel is just garbage. That's a problem I'm really having with another fic I'm working on at the moment.

 

I do find it sort of odd how showers and clothes were never a thing in P5, considering where the protag lives (a cafe with no reason to have a shower), so I thought I'd quickly address it here.

 

Therandompers: Yes, quite a few people have asked for a seductive/flirtatious Akari. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Akari's certainly attractive, that was established in C2, but I find it hard to believe that she'd have the confidence to flirt around after being arrested. I know I wouldn't. Maybe in the future, we might see that. I'm personally a fan of keeping Akari as quiet and calm in the real world, but the Metaverse is another story.

 

Bisexual/Lesbian Akari - Also a popular request. I'm not sure. I've exactly 0 experience when it comes to romantic relationships with girls. I've a lot of experience when it comes to romantic relationships with guys. It's easy to tell which one would be easier for me to do. On the other hand, I'm not really a fan of the other two males as well. Yusuke's a bit eccentric, Ryuji's a bit loud. A romantic relationship with a confidant outside of PT (although the options are rather limited: Mishima, Akechi, the rest are not age appropriate) is also a possibility. I'll have to think on it.


	4. School

"Hey, Akari, you dressed?" Sakura shouted from down the stairs.

"Yeah," I answered absent-mindedly. I didn't hear him coming up the stairs because I hadn't exactly had the best night's sleep. It was hard enough to fall asleep in such a dusty attic, but then I found myself dreaming about being in a prison cell, of all places. That didn't even go into the crazy stuff Pinocchio and his two cute assistants said.

' _Ruin and rehabilitation...What do those mean?'_

"Looks like you're up." Sakura snapped me out of my musings. He looked me up and down. "That uniform doesn't look bad on you," he said, smirking.

I tensed up. On top of everything else, the last thing I needed was for him to hit on me, or try anything furthur than that.

His face morphed back to the familiar apathetic look. "Relax," he said. I guess he noticed my discomfort. "Let's go introduce ourselves properly to the staff about your transfer," he went on. "I got you a school pass so you'll ride the train for free, but the route transfers are a pain. I'll drive you there today, but you'll have to get there on your own in the future. Let's go."

The ride to the school was silent. I was fine with that; I had no interest in talking with him and it gave me an opportunity to have a look at the world's largest metropolis just outside the window. Scout out the territory, look for good places to shop, eat, hang out. That sort of thing.

We arrived at Aoyama in about half an hour and in front of the gates of Shujin Academy after a short walk from a parking garage. I almost ran into Sakura when he abruptly stopped and turned around.

"Watch where you're going," he scolded.

"Sorry."

"Do me a favor and behave yourself, all right? Don't get me wrong – I don't care what happens to you. Just don't cause me any trouble."

And with that ray of sunshine, Sakura turned back around and marched into the school.

Shujin Academy certainly looked the prestiguous prep school all the online reviews said it was. Maybe it was because the school year hadn't started, but the floor tiles of the main entrance were squeaky clean and the same could be said about the dark brown wooden flooring of the hallways. The walls were a little more bland, but that was compensated for by having all sorts of stuff pinned onto them. Announcements, invitations to join clubs, grade postings. I'd have to check all of that out later.

Sakura and I headed up one floor and walked to the principal's office. He gave me one last warning glance before he knocked on the door.

"Come in!" a friendly sounding voice said. We opened the door.

The first thing I thought was: I've walked into Humpty Dumpty's office. The principal had the physique and apperance of a large egg. Not that I judge people based on their appearance – I suffered plenty from the stereotype that pretty girls are dumb – but I know I'd have trouble taking orders from him seriously.

When the humor of "Principal Dumpty" faded away, though, uneasiness took its place. There were no chairs on our side of the desk and the friendly sounding voice was not matched with a friendly looking face. On the principal's right stood a woman who was also looking at me disapprovingly.

' _This is a power play,'_ I realized. ' _Show the 'delinquent student' who's in charge.'_ Even knowing that, it got to me a little.

Sakura seemed a little surprised but still apathetic. I never thought I'd admire or appreciate that aspect of him, but now I wished I had some of that smug "I don't give a crap" air that he had.

"Principal Kobayakawa, thank you for meeting us," Sakura said, starting things out.

"It's no problem, Sakura-san," Kobayakawa responded. "I want to take a few minutes to clarify just what kind of situation we're looking at."

And so started the rambling about how with my criminal record, no school would accept me, but I was very lucky that Shujin Academy had a sudden open spot, and how I'd better not bring shame to the school, and if I did, I would immediately be expelled. Then a little bit of humble bragging about Shujin's achievements: graduation rate, number of graduates that went on to prestiguous colleges, success stories, volleyball. Lots of volleyball. Then back to how they would not tolerate me ruining that.

Finally, Kobayakawa prompted Sakura to sign some forms. Of course, he took that chance to close out with a finishing jab.

"To reiterate," he said, for the fifth time. "Just so we're clear," he added, I guess he thought I didn't know what "reiterate" meant. "you will be immediately expelled if you cause any problems. Honestly, I hesitated on accepting somoene like you, but there were some circumstances on our side..."

I thought this was the start of the next rambling rant, but I guess even he got tired of hearing his own voice. "You might have done a variety of things in hiding in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here."

"Yes, sir." I responded.

"This is the teacher in charge of your classroom," he said, looking to the woman on the right, who had yet to speak.

She looked up from whatever was on the floor, and turned her bored look to me. "I'm Sadayo Kawakami."

Kawakami-sensei was young and pretty, but the hollow look in her eyes and unenthusiastic voice hinted more towards someone much older who'd been beaten down by life.

"Here's your student ID," she went on, placing it on the desk in front of me. "Be sure to read the school rules, because I won't be able to protect you if you cause any problems."

Kobayakawa hummed in approval. "She is responsible for all her actions."

Kawakami-san turned to him. "But really though, why me...? Weren't there better candidates?"

"It was a sudden transfer, and your class was the only one that had an opening." He sounded defensive, as if they'd discussed this before. Sakura and I shifted around awkwardly, feeling incredibly left out despite being the subject of their conversation.

"If you're done explaining things, mind if we get going?" Sakura finally cut in. "I got a store to get back to."

"Sakura-san, please keep a close eye on her," the principal cautioned.

"I'll be sure to have a serious talk about the situation she's in," he promised. That satisfied Kobayakawa.

Kawakami sighed, but didn't argue any further. "Come to the faculty office before school tomorrow. I'll show you to your classroom," she instructed.

We said our goodbyes and left.

The school had looked shiny and pretty going in, but leaving? It looked just a little slimy. I guess Kobayakawa really had left a big impression on me.

We walked by the front entrance and Sakura stopped to rant a little. "They're treating you like some sort of nuisance," he grumbled. "I guess that's what it means to have a criminal record." He turned around, smiling grimly. "Turns out your past follows you wherever you go." He added an obligatory "By the way... if you get expelled now, I won't hesitate to kick you out. Got it?"

"I'll be careful," I promised, hoping this was the last time I'd hear it.

He sighed. "School never changes, huh?" Then he started walking again.

"School never changes?" I asked myself. ' _What does that mean?'_ However, not being left behind took precedence over trying to decode cryptic mumblings of a crazy old man, so I dropped the thought and went after him.

The ride back from Shujin was the opposite from the ride to Shujin. The ride to was quiet, peaceful, and fast. The ride back was loud, irritable, and painfully slow. It wasn't loud because Sakura and I had finally broken the ice and were conversing. Sakura did plenty of talking, though.

"Traffic's not moving at all!" he growled. I stayed silent. If there was anything I'd learned, it was that: not sticking your neck out is the path of least resistance. "Are you even aware of the situation you're in?" he went on, moving from one topic of anger (traffic) to the next (me). "You were expelled once already. To think you'd enroll in a different school. It's not like anyone will be sympathetic with you." I still didn't say anything.

"If that's what it was like at school, people might say stuff about me in the future too." Right. So sorry that _you're_ suffering from a decision that _you_ made. "What a troublesome kid I've taken in."

"Why did you take me in then?" I asked, before I could stop myself. I was honestly curious. Sakura had done nothing but complain and complain about how I was here, but I was only here because he agreed to me being here.

He seemed surprised that I talked back for once. "I was asked to do it, and I just...happened to agree to it." He went on, a little flustered. "And...I've already been paid for it too, after all."

I should've totally believed it. Cynical old man like him taking in a probation kid for some extra money? 100% reasonable. But...there seemed to be more to it.

What was once a 30 minute trip took over four hours. Apparently, a train derailment was to blame.

How does a train get off the tracks, anyway? Aren't they locked in place there?

When we finally did get back to Leblanc, it was far too late for him to open shop. He expressed this sentiment.

"Damn, to think there'd be that much traffic...What a waste of time. I wasn't able to open the cafe today."

I twirled a finger in my hair apologetically. Dislike him or not, that was lost business.

"Well, whatever. Go up to your room. I got something to show you."

The "something" turned out to be a diary. For probational purposes. Sakura needs to do a monthly report on me, and that was a simpler task if I just wrote down everything I did so he could copy it down.

He got a call from someone and left pretty quickly after that.

I picked up the diary and brought it over to the bed. Sitting down, I picked a nearby pen and tapped it against my mouth, thinking about what to write. In the end, I just did a barebones bullet point list. No need to give Sakura a deep insight into my life.

I changed into a nightgown and went to sleep to prepare for my first day of school tomorrow.

* * *

I actually had this finished a month ago, but then I sort of forgot that I had it done. Oops.

righteous-maximus: Thanks for the review, and you're absolutely right. I'll be sure to keep that in mind going forward!

Rebfan90: To be honest, a romantic relationship with Akechi was the most probable relationship in my mind if none of the other characters were changed. It would mean changing up the story quite a bit, but I could definitely see it happening.

Hanae Kokoro-chan: Thanks! In the game, the protagonist doesn't seem bothered at all about being arrested and looking forward to a life tainted with that. I guess it comes with being a silent protagonist, but doesn't make sense for a narrative.

I'm thinking Akari and Akechi as well, to be honest. We'll see :)

Guest: Thanks for the tips on Shadow speak. I'm not sure what I'll do for that.

Guest: Akari looks like whatever you want her to look like. I said she was attractive and left it at that. So, straight hair, frizzy hair, curly hair...pick your poison!

Guest: I actually sorta glossed over the Velvet Room, as you can see. The Velvet Room had more of a serene feel to me as opposed to scary/disturbing.

Guest: Akari with Mishima? Certainly haven't thought about that. I don't really see it happening, though, because Mishima is the one that muddied her name in the first place. It's true that he was coerced into doing it, but knowing that doesn't make it any less bad for Akari when dealing with her classmates. I know I 'd have a hard time forgiving somebody who did that, let alone deciding to trust them and advance a relationship.

 

 


End file.
